Washer



.lune 18, 1940. H. BELDING WASHER Filed Aug.V 15. 1938 l Patented June 18, 1940 PATENT OFFICE WASHER Harold L. Belding, Northampton, Mass., assignor to Henrici Laundry Machinery Company,

Boston, Mass., a corporation oi' Massachusetts Application August 13, 1938, Serial No. 224,721 8 Claims." (Cl. 68-58) This invention relates to an improvement in Washers and more particularly in washers of the type used for washing clothes and comprising briefly an inner rotatable cylinder having a. perforate side `wall and `adapted to contain the clothes to be washed and an outer stationary housing in which the water with or without the other ingredients used in the washing is placed. The washingtreatment comprises a plurality 10 of baths which may for convenience be designated as suds and rinse baths. The clothes being washed absorb a definite amount of the moisture, which of course varies according to the texture of the clothes, a hard textured goods absorbing less than a soft textured goods. After each bath the excess water, to wit that not absorbed, is drawn oi yand replaced with fresh water. The term water is here used, of course,

to include the soap; chemicals, bluing and the like 2 0 employed in the washing industry.

Heretofore it has been the general commercial practice to make the outer housing cylindrical and coaxial with the inner cylinder so that the wallsk of the cylinder and housing are separated by an annular space of uniform depth. The amount of waterby which the best results can be obtained has been denitely determined to be such that its surface level, when the washer is at rest and measured from the bottom of the interior of the inner cylinder, is approximately ve or six inches for sud baths and approximately nine or ten inches for rinse baths.

The commonly accepted practice of operation consists in rotating the inner cylinder several times in onedirection, then several times in the opposite direction andl repeating such alf-` ternate rotations until the bath is completed. The water is thereby drawn up in the housing peripherally of the cylinder first at one side of 40 the inner cylinder and then at the other side,

and at the same time the clothes in the inner cylinder are repeatedly raised from and dropped back into the water as the cylinder is rotated. The water drawn up in'the housing does in great part enter the inner cylinder through perfora tions in the wall thereof and rains down onto the clothes.

The amount of water and the number of baths required for the most satisfactory results have been changed from time to time in response to the results obtained from many careful investigaf,

, tions and experiment.

" ":ihe tendency of the present development of--the art is todecrease the depth of the annular space while maintainingthe..sta`ndard water levels and a part thereof and in which:

thereby to reduce the amount of water per bath and to increase the number of baths.

The present invention represents a step in the opposite direction. The lower part of the housing is changed to increase the amount of water 5 per bath and thereby to reduce the number of baths necessary. The sudsingand rinsing operations are thus made more rapid thereby reducing the processing time and increasing the production per hour. It will be noted that such 10 change in the lower part of the housing does. not require a change in the upper part of the housing or in the depth of the space between the walls of the upper part of the housing and of the inner cylinder. l5

A further feature of this invention is that the space between the bottom of the cylinder and the bottom of the housing, in the vertical plane through the axis of the cylinder, is ofthe same depth as the space at the upper part of the .0-

ho'using. In other words the change in the housing is at one or both sides of such vertical plane,

and consists in an enlargement of the lower part, thereby providing one or two reservoirs for the increase in amount of water per bath over washg5 ers of the heretofore standard type in which y the housing is cylindrical. y s

Another feature of this invention resides in the provision at the bottom of the housing of diagonally extending ribs or corrugations which, when 30 the inner cylinder-is rotated to agitata the Water peripherally, cause a longitudinal agitation thereof. This further agitation is of peculiar 'advantage in that the temperature of the entire mass A of water is rendereduniform and the soap and 35 other ingredients fed into the housing are uniformly distributed. y These and other features of this invention will appear from an examination of the following description thereof and of the drawing which forms 40 Figs. 1 and 2 are end elevations of washers embodying this invention Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the Washer shown in Fig. 1; f 45 Fig. 4 is a plan view of the bottom kof the ,w

t housing of that washer taken along the section line 4 4 in Fig. 3;` A

Fig. 5 is a plan view similar to Rg. 4, showing a modification of the structure there shown; 50 and Fig. 6 is another plan view of the bottom of the housing of the washer shown in Fig. 2. The washer 20 shown in Figs. 1 and 3 comprises a rotatable inner cylinder 2| and a stationu ary outer housing 22. The cylinder comprises a cylindrical wall 23 of perfcrate metal and end plates 24 (one 'only of which is shown) to which the ends of the wallf23 are suitably secured. The wall 23 consists of afplurality of longitudinally extending tie bars 25 fixed to the end plates 24 and side plates 26 extending between and supported by the tie bars 25. As shown in Fig. 3

the plates 26 extend directly from bar to bar. so 'y r wall having a plurality of iiat surfaces separated by longitudinal-` that the effect is a cylindrical ly extending b ars. 4

Access to the interior of the cylinder is `through an opening 30 provided with a door 3| which travels in perlpherally located guides 36 and which is adapted to be locked closed by any suitable means when the washer is in operation.

. Fixed to the tie bars 25 within the interior of the water level at the side of which the cylinder is rotated. While such agithe cylinder 2| are a plurality of longitudinallyv extending bars 31 by which, as will be pointed out below, the clothes are lifted during the Washing operation. The bars 31 are preferably hollow with openings 38 inthe walls thereof.

Projectingv outwardly from the end plates l24 are trunnions 39 by which the cylinder is rotatably supported.` The housing 22 includes end plates 40, and a side wall 4| secured at the ends to the end plates and legs 42. The end plates 40 have openings 43 at the center thereof and bearings in register with said openings in which the trunnions 39 are received.

The Wall 4| comprises a, semi-cylindrical upper part 45 which encloses and is .separated from the cylinder 2| to define a space 46-of approximately uniform depth. The lower part of the wall 4| consists of a quartercyllndrical.section 41 separated from the cylinder 2| by a space 48 of the same depth as thespace 46 and a right angle portion 49 so spaced from the cylinder as to provide 'a reservoir.l 50. The reservoir 5|) is in direct connection with the spaces 46 and 48, as shown in Fig. 3. The space 5| between the bottom of the cylinder and the bottom of the housing in the vertical plane of the axis of the cylinder is approximately of the same depth as that of the spaces 46 and 48, and serves as an orifice or passage through which water enters and leaves the reservoir 50.

From the bottom of the housing the bath water is drawn oi through an *opening 56, and a pipe 51 provided with valve controls of a suitable type (not shown). The cylinder is rotated alternately in opposite directions (as pointed out above) by a driving means (not shown) connected to the trunnion 39 at one end. of the cylinder. Door 59 affords access to the cylinder 2|, which can be positioned by suitable means forming no part of this invention with the door 3| in register with the door 59 so that clothes can be loaded into and removed from the inner cylinder. g

This rotation'of the cylinder agltates the bath water and causes itr to move tation causes an intermixing effect upon the bath,

' it has been found that it is not suiiicient 'to establish-a uniformity in temperature or a uniform distribution of the soap or other ingredients throughout the bath. In order to increase the l agitation there are provided in the bottom of the housing wall il a plurality of ribs or corrugations @li by which a current is set up in the bath at an angle to the peripheral current set up by the drag of the cylinder. The ribs may the cylinder is rotated in one presented, since some of i the reservoirs.

yto the ribs 60 in the bottom of peripherally, raising the housing toward .be arranged parallel in groups.

tending in one direction diagonally to the cylinder axis and the lother group extending in another diagonal .direction (see Fig. 4). If desired the ribs may all be parallel and diagonal to that axis such as the ribs 6| in Fig. 5. The upper edges of the ribs are preferably arcuate, as shown in Fig. 3.

As the bath water is set in motion by the rotation of the cylinder, the ribs 60 act to set up cross currents toward both end walls 40, when direction and away from the-end walls 40 when the cylinder is ro- 'tated in the opposite direction. Similarly the ribs 6| set up a cross current toward one end wall or toward thev other end wall depending upon thedirection of rotation of the cylinder. Such cross currents also serve to prevent any heavier than water ingredients fromsettling out and thereby altering the composition of the bath water. This last-named feature is of particular value when the washer is of the new type here the bath water ingredients would otherwise collect in the corners of rThe washer 65, shown in Figs. 2 and 6, differs from that previously described in that the hous- I ing 66 is provided with two reservoirs one at each side of the vertical plane through the axis of the cylinder. The reservoirs are connected byf an oriiice or passage of the same depth as the orilice 5|. The space between the cylinder and the upper part of the wall of the housing is of the same dimension as the space 46. Ribs 61 are provided in the bottom B8 of the housing similar structure and function. As shown in Fig. 6, the ribs 61 are arranged at both sides of the outlet opening 69.

When the inner cylinder water is agitated, being raised at the left side `(Fig. 3) when the rotation is clockwise and at the right side when clockwise. It will be appreciated that although, when the cylinder is at rest the body of water is at the same level from one side to the other -is counteracted in part by the frictional drag exerted by the surface of the housing. The clothes in the cylinder are raised by the action of the lifter bars 31 and then fall by the cylinder into the water at the bottom thereof.

Obviously therefor it is of advantage to malntain a substantial amount of water at the bottom of the cylinder. Many experiments have proven that due to other conditions which must be taken lunder consideration this can not be done successfully by increasing the amount of water per bath and thus'raisiingv the level oi' the water. Applicant, however, by changing the structure of the housing to provide one or more reservoirs has been able to increase the amount of water per bath without raising the water level and thereby to increase the amount of water at the bottom oi the washer when in operation.

l claim:

l. A. washer comprising a rotatable periorate is rotated the bath the rotation is counter` gravity to inner cylinder, and a stationary outer housing, the inner cylinder `containing the clothes to be washed and the inner cylinder and outer housing containing water, which water is agitated peripherally upon the rotation of the cylinder, the upper wall of the housing being cylindrical 4and concentric with the cylinder to provide auniform space of predetermined depth between the cylinder and the upper wall of the housing. the base wall oi' the housing being spaced from the cylinder at the vertical axial plane thereof to provide a e of approximately the same depth as that of the aforesaid space. and having a water outlet at said vertical plane and being spaced a greater distance from the cylinder at one side of said vertical plane to form `a reservoir in open communication with the and the said passage.

2. A washer comprising a rotatable perforate inner cylinder, and a stationary outer housing, the inner cylinder containing the clothes to be washed and the inner cylinder andouter housing containing water, which water is agitated peripherally upon the rotation` of the cylinder, the upper wall of the housing being cylindrical and concentric with the cylinder to provide a unform space of predetermined depth between the cylinder and the upper wall of the housing, the base wall of the housing. being spaced from. the cylinder at the vertical axial plane thereof to provide a passage oi approximately the same depth as that of the aforesaid space. the base wall at one side of said passage being "spaced a greater distance from the cylinder to form a reservoir, such reservoir being in open communication with the said space andthe said passage, and at the other side of said passage being cylindrical and concentric with the cylinder to provide a continuation of the uniform space provided between the cylinder and the upper wall of the housing.

3. A washer comprising a rotatable perforate inner cylinder, and a stationary outer housing, the inner cylinder containing the clothes to be washed and the inner cylinder and outer housing containing water, which water is agitated peripherally upon the rotation of the cylinder, the upper wall of the housing being cylindrical and concentric with the cylinder to provide a uniform space of predetermined depth between the cylinder and the upper wall of the housing, the base wall of the `'housing spaced from the cylinder at the vertical axial plane `thereof 'to provide a passage of approximately the same inder to form a reservoir inopen communication with the said space and the said passage,

and diagonally arranged ribs on the base wall o of said reservoir whereby when the cylinder is rotated the water vis agitated peripherally and longitudinally of the cylinder to establish a uniform condition of the water. i

4. A washer comprising a rotatable perforate inner cylinder, and a stationary outer housing, 4the inner cylinder containing the clothes to be washed and the inner cylinder and outer housing containing water, which water is agitated peripherally upon the rotation of the cylinden the up- 0 per wall of the housing being cylindrical and concentric with the cylinder to provide a uniform space of predetermined depth between the cylinder and the upper wall of the housing, the base wall of the `housing being spaced from the cylinder at the vertical axial plane thereof to prosaid space depth as that of theaforesaid space, and being4 in part spaced a greater distance from the cyl-` vide a passage' ofapproximately the same depth as that of the aforesaidspacafand being in part spaced a greater distance from the cylinder to form a reservoir in open communication withthe said space and the said passage, the base wall of the housing having a water outlet at the said vertical plane, anddiagonally-arranged ribs on the base wall of the reservoir atone side of said outlet whereby when the'cylinderjvis rotated the water is agitated both peripheraily and longitudinally of the of the cylinder to establish a uniform condition of the water.

5. A washer comprising a rotatable perforate inner cylinder,A and a stationary outer housing,

the inner cylinder containing the clothes to be washed and the inner cylinder and outer housing containing water, which water is agitated peripherally upon the rotation of the cylindenthe upper wall of the housing being cylindrical and concentric with the cylinder to provide a uniform space of predetermined depth between the cylinder and the upper wall of the housing, the base wall of the housing being spaced from the cylinder at the vertical axial plane thereof to provide a' passage of approximately the same depth as that ofthe aforesaid space, and being in part spaced a greater distance from the cylinder to form a reservoir in open communication with the said spacland'the said passage, and deiector means mounted in said reservoir and withwhich the water is in contact whereby `when the cylinder is rotated the water is agitated peripherally and longitudinally of the cylinder to establishJ a uniform condition of the water.

6. A washer comprising'a rotatable perforate inner cylinder, and a stationary outer housing.

the inner cylider containing the clothes to be washed and the inner cylinder and outer housing containing water, which water is l,agitated peripherally upon the rotation of the cylinder, the upper wall of the housing being cylindrical and concentric with the cylinder to provide a uniform space of predetermined depth between the cylinder and the upper wall oi' the housing., the base wall of the housing being spaced from the cylinder at the vertical axial plane thereof to provide a passage of approximately the same depth as that of the aforesaid space, and being in part spaced a greaterdistance from the cylinder to form at each side of said vertical plane a reservoir, each reservoir being in open communication with the said space and the said passage, `and diagonally arranged ribs on the base wall of each reservoir whereby when thecylinder is rotated the water is agitated peripherally and longitudinally of the cylinder to establish a uniform condition of the 7. A washer comprising a rotatable perforate inner cylinder, and a stationary outer housing, the inner cylinder containing the clothes to be washed and the inner cylinder and outer housing containing water, which water 'is agitated peripherally upon the rotation of the cylinder, the upper wall ofthe housing being cylindrical and concentric with the cylinder to provide a uniform space of predetermined depth between the cylinder and the upper wall of the housing. the base wallof the housing being spaced from the cylinder' at the vertical axial plane thereof to provide a passage of approximately the same depth as spaced a greater distance from the cylinder to form at each side of said vertical plane a reservoir, each reservoir being in open communication with the said space and the said passage, the base that of the aforesaid space, and being in partv rotated the water wall of the housing having a water outletv at the y said vertical plane. and diagonally arranged ribs on the base wall of each reservoir on opposite sides of said outlet whereby when the cylinder is is agitated peripherally and longitudinally to establish a uniform condition of the water.

8. A washer comprising a rotatable perforate inner cylinder and a ,stationary outer housing, the

inner cylinder containing the clothes to be washed and the inner cylinder and outer housing containing water which is agitated peripherally upon the rotation of the cylinder, and diagonally arranged ribs .in the base of the housing by which, when the cylinder is rotated, the water is agitated longitudinally of the cylinder as well as peripherally thereof.

HAROLD L. BELDING. 

